Well, that was a Week 1 game to forget. The New York Giants were embarrassed by the Dallas Cowboys 40-0 to start their 2023 regular season on an awful note. After a promising opening drive watching the Giants march down the field, the wheels then fell off.
As bad as that showing was, it's time for the G-Men to flush that performance and get ready for Week 2. A date with the Arizona Cardinals is coming up and it's a must-win game for Brian Daboll and Co. In order for NY to come away with the win, these four guys MUST step their game up:
4. Giants RT Evan Neal
This should not be a surprise to anyone. While the entire offensive line for the Giants deserves their fair share of blame for not giving their quarterback any protection, just like last year against this same Dallas defense, second-year offensive lineman Evan Neal failed to show up and play up to his potential vs. Dallas.
Last season on the same field in Week 3, Neal was no match against Micah Parsons, who made it look easy to get after Daniel Jones. And Sunday night was no different. Neal improved toward the end of last season, but his Week 1 showing to begin 2023 was a nightmare. He was disappointed by his play and rightfully so.
In total, Jones was sacked seven times and was looking like he was running for his life all night - Neal was a big reason for that. Neal worked so hard this past offseason to work on his technique and improve as an o-lineman for the Giants and Week 1 was not the start he or the Giants envisioned. Yes, there are still 16 games left to go in the season, but this was not a good showing by this offensive line and Neal in particular. Neal needs to step up and play a lot better and prove that last week was just a fluke.